Moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a unit that comprises a closing piece arranged on a horizontal surface onto which side panels are secured, for which purpose the closing piece has side perforations arranged longitudinally and in line with projections that the side panels have on their lower edge. The side panels are vertically secured onto the closing piece via clips or the like secured onto the closing pieces. Thanks to the structural features of the parts and their engaging design, an assembly is obtained which is easy to assemble and dismantle, allowing girders to be built directly on site, as well as allowing the removal of forms from girders with complex geometries (holes, section reductions, etc.).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates, as established by the invention title, to a moulding unit for girder construction on site by means of quick-assembly systems, that is, it relates to the necessary pieces that act as a mould or formwork to construct girders on site.

This invention is characterized by the special configuration and design of each and every piece that constitutes the set of necessary pieces, which enables the construction of girders directly on site in an easy, efficient, quick and handy manner, as well as the removal of forms from girders with complex geometries (holes, section reductions, etc.).

Therefore, this invention is classified under the field of civil work and, particularly, under the methods used for the construction of girders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Concrete girders built on site are a widely extended system in the building industry and there are multiple solutions. The solutions known range from traditional wooden girders built by carpenters to more industrialized solutions built with brackets where wooden boards are fixed.

The American patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,427 describes a formwork system of dissassemblable modules, but which requires a complex system of aluminium pieces.

The patent BE 1015307A3 relates to a modular system comprising base and side pieces, but which is difficult to disassemble.

The U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,427 relates to a system in which the beam formwork pieces form a leaning mould to facilitate the forms removal, but which requires more concrete consumption as well as a certain complexity in the set-up.

None of the formworks described above enable the building of perforated girders nor double-T girders.

The present invention is suitable for building perforated girders as the ones indicated in patent ES-201000839 by the same inventor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a moulding unit for girder construction which simplifies the construction of girders directly on site.

Unlike other girder formwork systems, all the pieces are fitted via clips; the pieces do not require any adjustment before being fitted and they are designed in an easy-to-handle format.

In the case of building perforated girders, the frameworks can be placed in the first place thanks to the ease of turning of the system.

The moulding unit comprises a closing piece placed on a horizontal surface onto which side panels are secured, for which purpose the closing piece has side perforations arranged longitudinally and in line with projections that the side panels have on their lower edge.

The side panels fit together by means of an angular or swinging movement. For this purpose, both the projections and the perforations have a rounded edge on their inner faces.

The side panels are vertically secured onto the closing piece via clips or the like, which are fixed on the closing pieces. In addition, in case of wishing to build perforated girders, the side panels have some binding projections which fit into each other.

Once the closing pieces and the side panels have been placed, if necessary, a horizontal panel may be placed lined up with the upper edge of the side panels leaving free space between the girders, so that once the concrete is poured a slab will be created integrating several parallel girders.

The mould removal process is quite simple. First, the closing pieces are removed and then the side panels. The unique structural features of the system enable the removal of forms from girders with complex geometries (holes, section reductions, etc.).

Unless otherwise stated, every technical and scientific term herein used has the usual meaning that would be understood by an average expert in the field of this invention. For the purposes of setting up this invention, similar methods and materials to the ones herein described might be used.

Throughout the description of the invention and the claims, the word “comprises” and its variants do not intend to exclude any other technical features, additives, components or steps. For experts on the subject, some other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be deduced partly from the description and partly from the set-up of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description of the invention and its features will be complemented and best understood when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which follow an example of preferred embodiment, illustrating, but not limited to, the following:

FIG. 1 shows a first stage of the process of arranging the moulding unit for girder construction on site.

FIG. 2 shows how the girder framework is placed over the closing pieces.

FIG. 3 shows the side panels of the moulding unit.

FIG. 4 shows the side panels fixed.

FIG. 5 shows the placement of the upper closing panels.

FIG. 6 shows a first stage of the mould removal process.

FIG. 7 shows the removal of side panels.

FIG. 8 shows the girders built on site.

FIG. 9 shows a section of the side panels placed facing each other.

FIG. 10 shows a diagram of the main pieces that constitute the invention.

FIG. 11 shows how the side panels are fitted into the closing pieces via a series of clips.

FIG. 12 shows an alternative for building the girders on site, but the essence of the invention remains unchanged.

FIG. 13 shows how the relative position between the side panels is set.

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment in which the closing pieces and the side panels are fixed to a same frame.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show an embodiment in which the pieces that form the girders are transported preassembled over a frame to the building site.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Following the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described.

FIG. 1 shows a horizontal surface (1) where the closing pieces (2) are arranged and fixed. The closing pieces will coincide with the lower edge of the girders once built. The side edges of the closing pieces have a series of perforations, (2.1) and (2.2), arranged longitudinally and facing each other. The girder framework (3) is placed along the central space (2.3) created between the side edges of the closing pieces (FIG. 2).

The horizontal surface (1) may be either a continuous panel that holds the closing pieces (2) or a longitudinal and continuous support which holds the closing pieces while independent panels are placed between them.

The pieces that form the moulding unit may also rest on turning frames which may be turned mechanically or manually. The latter system is particularly appropriate for the construction of prefabricated girders.

FIG. 3 shows the side panels (4) for girder construction, which may have, not being limited to, some binding projections face to face (4.1) which fit into each other. These binding projections are placed so that their fitting takes place within the free space left by the girder framework.

The side panels may have different geometries: plain, for standard girders; concave, to build double-T girders; with binding projections face to face, to build perforated girders.

FIG. 4 shows the side panels vertically secured onto the closing piece (2). For this purpose, in addition to some fitting pieces placed within the facing projections (4.1), some binding clips are used (2.6) (FIG. 11).

FIG. 5 shows the use of upper closing panels (5) placed on top of the upper edges of the side panels (4) leaving free the space corresponding to the girders. Such closing panels (5) are held by support pieces (6) placed on the side panels (4).

Such support pieces (6) may have different shapes depending on the way they are assembled and disassembled. In any case, the upper closing panels need to be able to be released in the first stage of mould removal.

-   -   Piece that is unlocked by being turned on the vertical axis.     -   Piece that is unlocked by being turned on the horizontal axis.     -   Support pieces with lateral removal.     -   Horizontal bars placed between the side panels (4).     -   Vertical support with turn.     -   The supports may be mainstays or continuous strips.

As shown in FIG. 12, if the closing piece (2) is placed below the horizontal panel (1) in such a way that the upper edges of the side panels (4) are in line with the horizontal panel (1), there is no need for closing panels (5).

After setting up the moulding unit and placing a wire mesh, concrete is poured filling the hollow spaces left to define the girders, creating a horizontal slab from which the girders emerge parallel to each other.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the process of mould removal. Firstly, the closing pieces (2) are removed and then the side panels (4) (FIG. 7), obtaining a set of on-site girders as the ones shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 shows the side panels (4), whose lower edges have a battlement-like shape with merlon-like projections (4.2) in line with the side perforations (2.1) and (2.2) of the closing piece (2). The inner face of such merlon-like projections (4.2) have a rounded edge (4.3) which coincides with the geometry of the longitudinal perforations (2.1) and (2.2).

Thanks to such geometry, the side panels (4) fit into the closing pieces (2) with a swinging movement.

FIG. 10 shows more constructive details, particularly of the closing piece (2), which has on its ends some binding parts (2.4) and (2.5) which enable the lining up of the closing pieces. While FIG. 5 showed some support pieces (6) which were mainstays, this FIG. 10 shows a continuous support panel (6.1).

FIG. 11 shows a series of closing clips (2.6) fixed on the closing piece (2) which secure and fix vertically the side panels (4).

FIG. 13 shows how the relative position between the side panels (4) is set by using some clips (7) which may be fixed on bars (8) through the side panels (4), ensuring the relative position between the bars.

FIG. 14 shows how the closing piece (2) and the side panels (4) are fixed to the same frame. The elements that constitute the frame are fitted together by some knuckle joints (8) thus constituting a system that enables the mechanization.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show an embodiment in which the pieces that form the girders are transported preassembled over a frame (9) to the building site. Piece (5.1) enables the fitting with the panel (5).

Having described thoroughly this invention, as well as its construction and operation, it must be noted that, within its essentiality, this invention might be set up in different ways to the one herein described as an example. In any case, the protection hereby granted will likewise apply to such other ways, as long as the fundamental principle of this invention is not altered, changed or modified. 

1. Moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems comprising: a set of closing pieces (2) arranged on the horizontal surface a set of side panels (4) fitted and secured onto the closing pieces by fitting the merlon-like projections that the side panels have on their lower edge (4.2) onto the perforations (2.1) and (2.2) arranged longitudinally along the side edges of the closing pieces (2), the side panels (4) are vertically secured onto the closing pieces (2) via clips or the like characterized in that the merlon-like projections (4.2) have a rounded edge (4.3) on their inner face which coincides with the geometry of the longitudinal perforations (2.1) and (2.2).
 2. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing piece (2) has a longitudinal central space (2.3) enclosed by the side edges in which display the longitudinal perforations (2.1) and (2.2).
 3. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing piece (2) has on its ends has an auxiliary joining means (2.4) and (2.5) which enable the lining up of the closing pieces.
 4. (canceled)
 5. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 1, characterized in that the side panels (4) have some binding projections (4.1) face to face which fit into each other.
 6. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 1, characterized in that the side panels (4), have a supporting piece (6) on their upper edge that holds upper closing panels (5).
 7. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 6, characterized in that the supporting piece (6) is continuous piece (6.1).
 8. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 1, characterized in that the horizontal surface where the closing pieces (2) are placed may be either a continuous panel that holds the closing pieces (2) or longitudinal support placed one after another which hold the closing pieces (2) while independent panels are placed between them.
 9. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing pieces (2) and the side panels (4) are fixed to a same frame.
 10. The moulding unit for girder construction by means of quick-assembly systems according to claim 9, characterized in that the piece that constitute the frame, where the panels and the closing pieces (2) are fixed, are fitted together by means of knuckle joint paths (8). 